Saturday: Back to Meyersdale

After hearing Gov. Rendell speak early this afternoon, we took the country roads down to Meyersdale to canvass again.  The countryside is really pretty, although today was our only really gray day.  Naturally we got lost, despite being told by those giving directions along the way that : 

"It's easy."  

"You can't miss it."

However we drove across a high ridge and got right up close to the huge alternative fuel windmills that dot the horizon around here.  Then after being totally lost, our trusty GPS told us to turn left, and we ended up going down a long steep, narrow, unpaved road through corn fields and wilderness.  I kept thinking what if we broke down here miles from nowhere and maybe no cell phone service.... But we got to Meyersdale.

MAPLE SYRUP

I had wanted to pick up some Somerset County maple syrup, so decided we had better look for some before starting our canvassing, as things close early in these parts.  For some reason it is hard to find the stuff nowadays, but I guess when you live here you know where to go, or you can't afford to buy it anyway.  In our driving in the country we were trying to find a maple sugar camp that we had heard about, but got on the wrong roads.

We had also been told there was a little store in Meyersdale, if we turned left at the main intersection, like a circle with a large statue of a soldier in the center.  In heading to where we were told to go, we got confused and ran over and broke a Do Not Enter sign....Don't ask......

Things popped out of the front of our car, so I ran around and picked up the plastic pieces and kicked them back into their slots as best I could.  Cars are made like children's plastic toys these days.  (Redjeb bought some strong Scotch tape later, and we hope not to lose any of the pieces on the way home.)

The sign was another matter.  For some reason the metal pole broke at the base, and the twisted sign was laying on it's side on the road.  Hum...  No one we spoke to knew whom to call or what to do, but all offered to call someone for us.  Very nice people.  A fire truck happened by on it's way from an accident, but the child firemen said it was not their concern, and they didn't know whom to call either.  The man who owned the liquor store on the corner came out with his cell phone.  He had tried to call the State Police, but they said it was not their jurisdiction.  

He and I decided that we shouldn't drive away because I could get in trouble for leaving the scene of an accident, so he called the state police again.  They had no interest in making a note that I had tried to call someone to report what happened.  Apparently there is no local cop???  Eventually it was determined that Penn DOT (Dept. of Transportation) would come by to check this out.

To make us feel better, the liquor store owner had said this was a crazy intersection, and there were accidents there all the time.  We waited in his store, and while there, the owner noticed my Obama pin and asked if I was canvassing.  I admitted such.  So he started telling me how he wasn't sure whom to vote for.  So many of these people down here are angry at the way money is thrown away by the politicians, but nothing to help them in this depressed part of the country. He said he was angered by the large bailout to the banks and the top folks at AIG going off on a junket at the same time they were getting bailed out.  

"Money always seems to come for them but not for us."

Yet this does not translate easily into voting for Obama.  

"They are all alike, and I don't' like any of them," is a refrain I heard often.

 When I mentioned Rendell, the store owner said he didn't like him either--that Rendell gets $185,000 a week for his meals.  I told him I found that hard to believe, but he said he "read it in the paper."  Maybe that is the Governor's expense account, who knows.  Some said Rendell didn't help them at all, but I wonder if it was Rendell or the fact that the State government is pretty much Republican.

Eventually, the Penn DOT guy arrived.  I took off my Obama pin, just in case and hid it in my pocket.  He was a youngish guy (aren't they all) and was very nice.  I tried to explain that we were on our way to buy maple syrup and tried to avoid a car that was coming down a one way street that we thought was the street we were supposed to go up.

The DOT guy just waved me off saying not to worry.  

"I'll just send one of my guys over to put up a new sign.  That's OK don't worry."  

No name, no nuthin' , so we left.  Later we would see a guy there with a yellow truck, and then voila a new sign like nothing had happened.

The store owner looked concerned when I told him the guy said to forget it.  But what to do?  We bought a bottle of wine from him to thank for helping us.

I called Lisa to report that we might not see the number of houses I had hoped to get to today.  When  told her why, she just laughed.  I think she thinks we are this funny older couple....isn't that quaint.

I might add that Meyersdale had more things going on than we had thought during our first visit and we ate dinner at a place called the White House Restaurant, a white building that looked like a Quonset hut hidden down a road on the outer part of town.  The food was really great.  They even had whipped jello, which I haven't had for ages and remember from my days living back there.  Redjeb even liked it, though he finds regular jello a bit funny.  

A family came in and sat at the large table next to us.  Before starting to eat I heard them saying a prayer....yes, we are in Somerset County.   (I remember the days when airplanes flying over Pennsylvania were not allowed to serve alcohol until they passed through our airspace.  You see, we Pennsylvanians have a direct contact with the Almighty and we don't want it interfered with by any drunks or sinners. That may only have been in effect on Sundays, but I don't remember for sure.)

The fellow who owned the restaurant told us where to go for maple syrup at that time, and while telling us his eyes kept going down to my pin and up.  He did not crack a smile, just a steely polite look.  I figured I knew who he was going to vote for, but he wasn't on my list, so I kept my mouth closed.  We got the syrup and it turned out to be from the camp that we had been looking for.  How about that?

Canvassing

At a junction outside Meyersdale, Redjeb planted another Obama/Biden sign on the road amongst some other political signs.  I always fear that he'll get arrested for putting such on state property or get beaten up by some McCain supporter.  But he is fearless.

By the way the young woman with the backwards B scratched on her face, whom I mentioned in a previous blog, admitted, as I suspected, that she had carved the thing on herself.  Surprise, surprise.  I had some details wrong.  She was from Texas, but this happened in Pittsburgh while she was volunteering for McCain.  And naturally she blamed a black man for having done it.  In the olden days some arbitrary black guy would have been hung for this post haste.

But I digress...back to Meyersdale.

Interesting people live here in this working class town.  According to my list there are a number of Nader supporters (from the past I assume).  I find them interesting as you never know what they are going to say when you knock on the door. Independent thinkers they.  People are splitting votes, even the Democrats.  One older guy told me he was voting for Obama, because he didn't like the horrible things McCain was saying in his ads (Yippee!), yet he is supporting a local Republican in a State race.  

Some just don't want to say what they plan to do.  They get marked as REF (refused).  I used to think that was McCain vote for sure, but sometimes if you keep talking they tell you they are going to vote for Obama or really aren't sure.  Some I think they are just private like me.  I don't answer when pollsters phone nor when they knock on my door.  So why am I doing this...cause what else could I do?  And some people actually thank me for stopping by and for working in the campaign.  

One woman sticks in my mind:  She was about 30 something, a little plump.  Her porch was deocrated with everything you could think of for the coming Halloween.  I asked for her husband, as his name was on my list.  She informed me that he was not at home, and that he was away getting ready to be sent to Iraq.  She said she thought he was doing something about voting but didn't know what.  Then she told me:

"I'm not registered.  I've never voted. I haven't been following anything, so don't know what is going on."

I was dumbfounded.  I tried to encourage her to register for the next election, but all I could think of were those poor young folks going off to war, and many of them and their families not having a clue or the where-with-all to understand what it is all about.

-----

Despite my feeling discouraged some days, this has been a very interesting experience, and you really get to see the diversity in this country.  I'm feeling a bit sad that we have decided to pack it up tomorrow morning and return to NYC.  Redjeb has been a good sport about driving me around and helping me find my houses and helping me keep all the paper work straight that is littering our car.  I don't want to push it with his good spirit. Also my tooth which acted up just as we were coming here, needs to be tended to before it is too late.

----

So am back here now in our room drinking some wine, chilling out from another day.  Not sure how much effect we had on the vote, but Lisa (our Obama contact) is actively recruiting people for a big push this coming weekend and election day.  I wish we could be here, but we are going back to NY for our own celebration--I hope.

Governor Rendell

Pennsylvania Governor Rendell is in town (Somerset).  We just came back from a rally in the VFW hall.  He is a good speaker.  The only thing that we didn't quite like (or agree with) is that he made some comment about the US being the only country in the world with Social Security or something like that.  The rest of his speech was so perfect that he must have misspoke or we misheard.

There were about 5 blacks there.  They are not interested in volunteering.  One woman said she would be afraid to knock on doors:  "This is Somerset County," she said.  Turns out that she is also a registered Republican (why I can't imagine), but she is voting for Obama.

Unfortunately I forgot my camera for the rally, so Redjeb was using my cell phone to take photos, but the phone went dead just before Rendell spoke.  Oh, well.

We're off again to Meyersdale in the southern part of the county, near Maryland.

Is a gray rainy day today.

Friday's canvassing

We went back to Republican Davidsville to canvass again.  On the way into Davidsville at a junction there were a lot of McCain and other Republican signs.  So we pulled over and Redjeb jumped out of the car and planted an Obama sign right in the midst of them.  Not sure how long that will last.

In town found a mix of Obama and McCain people, but what has been bothering me are the Democrats who don't want to vote for Obama.  As one said:  "I wish he'd of changed his name to Henry."  A couple laughing and giggling said that they thought Palin was "hot".  I reminded them about how people liked Bush because they thought he'd be good to have a drink with and look what we got.  

Others, sounding serious, said they didn't like either candidate, and one said he was going to flip a coin when he was inside the voting booth.  I tried to tell people that we needed a straight Democratic ticket or the Republican President would force Congress to water down anything good or would veto Democratic initiatives.  I was a little heartened when  I heard one woman say she'd never thought of it that way.

Davidsville, and particularly the new developments right outside, are so perfect that they remind me of the town in the movie The Stepford Wives.

Football game

It's after midnight and I'm too tired to do a real blog.  We went to my old high school's football game this eve (Conemaugh Township High School a.k.a. CTHS).  We did some campaigning around Davidsville first, and then stopped off at the home of Sarah Ruth Telenko (Zwick).  She is my old friend Janice's cousin.  We all lived in Jerome.  I wasn't all that close to Sarah Ruth cause she was a few years older, but she was extremely nice to us this eve.  We went to the game and sat with her and her various relatives.  For any of the CTHS folks reading this email those from my day I saw at the game:

Ron Telenko and Carolyn MacDaniel, Milt Green (h.s.football hero), Gib Davis (h.s. football almost hero), Pat Shaffer, Lois (I forget her "maiden" name) and her husband Barry Springer.  

I think that Redjeb had seen only one football game before, so I was disappointed that this game was a bit slow.  But CTHS was at least ahead when we left after the third quarter (to go back to Sarah Ruth's to get warm and for some wine and snacks).

I used to play the bells in the band.  In those days the band had over 100 members, and we marched all over the field doing formations.  Today the band looked like it had about 20 members (measly).  And the cheerleaders, instead of wearing little skits and flipping over and doing all those acrobatics, wore matching track suits and had pom poms.  They just swayed around and did some kind of cheers that you couldn't understand.  Even I could have been that kind of cheerleader.  No one joined in like we used to:  CTHS! CTHS! CTHS!

Redjeb was amazed that we sang the Star Spangled Banner before the game and then our Alma Mater.  I was amazed that I could remember all the words (though now they've fled from my head for another 50 years).   (I was of course embarrassed when he asked loudly:  "What's that silly little song you were all singing?"  Silly little song, indeed.)  

He was also intrigued by all the timing that went on during the game (this many minutes left in this quarter or that down.)--and all the ceremony of the entrance of the teams, and now they even have horses running on the field with the riders dressed like Indians on the warpath.  We were the Conemaugh Twp. Indians!  He somehow extrapolated all this to his now understanding why we were a great military power or something like that.  

When we get back, I'm going to let Redjeb do all the telling of our activities--like an anthropologist watching the natives and making weird interpretations.

Naturally we are still on our NYC schedule, so when we drove back, it was after 11 and we stopped at Eat N Park (the only 24 hour place in Somerset) and split a fish dinner--us and all the high school kids hanging out.

I'll write about the campaigning tomorrow morn, as it is almost 1 am and I'm really sleepy.

Socialism for the Conservatives

Funny, I just got a comment from Jeanie about a subject I was going to write about this morning: Welfare! Socialism!

Just came back from breakfast--which has become a bit of a stress each morning.

Today Joyce, (B&B owner) in talking again about how she is so good at budgeting, told me that she would be saving money next year, as she will be old enough to go on Medicare and would, thus, not have to pay for health insurance. Then in a few minutes her husband Dan came in from outside. He said he had to come back cause he had forgotten his papers for the partial disability benefits he gets since his stroke. On top of that, the other day she had informed me that they live off what they make from the B&B and save their Social Security checks; then they use these savings for SS for renovations on the B&B. I just love these conservatives who hate Socialism and the tax and spend liberals.

In making conversation I started to tell Joyce about how interesting it was to visit the Children's home yesterday. But she is one of these people that as soon as you bring up a subject, she has something better to say. So today she started telling about Sara and her baby. At first I thought it was a relative, but then realized that we were talking about...you guessed it..Sarah Palin. Then we gravitated to a real relative who has a disabled child who goes to a special school in Pittsburgh.

"She takes the bus to school, and she gets along with the other kids so well. They are black. (Smile) All the other kids on the bus are black. They are so lovable. Those people really know how to be...just so enjoyable. (Smile)." 

Some of my best friends are Jews [blacks].  See I'm not racist, like Murtha said.

Redjeb has been doing his usual, walking to a cafe downtown in the morning to have his tea and read the NY Times. Except today they only had Earl Gray (don't get new teas until Mondays) and his NY Times is from my laptop, which he has started taking with him.  The local paper can be read in about 5 minutes cover to cover. 

One of the front page stories today, photo and all, was about the young woman in Texas, who was robbed at an ATM by a black guy with a six inch knife.  As story goes, after robbing her he noticed the McCain signs on her car (she was canvassing for McCain), so he beat her up, knocked her down and carved a backwards B on her check.    (Hope that doesn't give the opposition any ideas).

Now I ask you:  Why would he do a backwards B?  Perhaps he is a dyslexic mugger.   But I offer this explanation:  If you look in the mirror and carve (scratch, as it looked like from the photo) a B on your own face, it would come out backwards-- a mirror image.  

Why not a little attention for yourself and the campaign, or as an excuse to your mother for some unapproved of behavior (a.k.a. Tawana Brawley for those New Yorkers who remember that case)?   I suspect the B stands for Bitch.

Eveyln Raper

Thursday's events

Breakfast took it's usual turn of the last few days. Our hostess Joyce talked non stop while we tried to eat. She is trying to be good about our being for Obama, but can't help herself once in a while saying something. But today in telling us about her wonderful deceased father, a Lutheran minister, she said, "Oh, you'll like this. My father was a Democrat. I'm not sure why. I guess it was the Depression. He liked Social Security. But the rest of us are Conservatives."

I thought of lots of responses but just bit my tongue. Not worth it.

Went to the Cobbler's Shop in town where I was having my boots fixed. As we were paying, the shoemaker started asking Redjeb about France and asked if he'd be treated OK in Paris if they went for vacation. His wife wants to go, but he's afraid they don't like Americans. Sometimes I don't like Americans, but I didn't say that. We of course told him how wonderful the French are.....

We had lunch today at the Georgian Manor, an upscale B&B with an upscale restaurant. We were treated by my high school friend Pat Bowers Stone. It was great to see her and lunch was quite nice. Afterwards we went with Pat to the Children's Aid Society children's home. This is really an impressive place that has been funded by local millionaires. I didn't know we had any around, but I guess they are lurking everywhere. One family gave $500,000 for the 15 acres. Another family gave 1 million for decorating the place and keeping it nice and also for the gym and recreation room. Each kid gets a quilt for his/her room and is taken on a shopping trip to pick it out. They get a new quilt each year and when they leave can take it with them.

Pat was the Executive Director for 30 years and retired not too long ago. The recreation room was dedicated to her (cause she brought in the funding, I guess) and there is a plaque in her honor. Her sister Jeanie works there now.

The kids come from all kinds of situations, some have been abused, some families are dysfunctional, some are management problems at school. There is a school there but some go to the local high school. They also have a scholarship program if a kid wants to go to college. Pat said that one kid who grew up in the home, has just graduated with a law degree.

After that we made our way to south county to the town of Meyersdale. We had asked Lisa for a new list as Redjeb was tired driving up and down the same sections of routes 219 and 601 to Jerome, Holdsopple & Davidsville. I really never set foot in Meyersdale before and not even sure if I ever drove through. It is a very quite small middle class town with modest houses. But what was interesting is there are some old stately homes there. Trains kept going through and we think that at one time it must have been a railroad center--I'm not sure for what and the Historical Society was closed. This is also the center for the Maple festival each year, and there are Maple Sugar camps in the area for buying maple syrup.

I found canvassing here rather interesting. As usual there were a lot of McCain signs, but I did find some Obama households (thank god). What I liked was when I knocked on a door and they said they were for McCain, they were polite. We smiled. I said I knew I was in McCain country and as long as they voted that was the important thing. We all should vote. (And then I'd go around the corner and throw up....no not really). What distressed me is that many of these people on my list were registered Democrats who are firm in not wanting to vote for Obama....the usual reasons. They have been bombarded in recent days with a lot of the McCain hate mail about Obama being a terrorist, an abortionist, and such.

One woman made a comment though that I agree with. She said that she was angry that they were spending so much on the campaigns when people were in need and losing their homes. She said if one of them would donate some of that money to help people stay in their homes or whatever that would sway a lot of votes.

Good night. We are off for Chinese food.
P.S. To our surprise we had a really good Chinese food just now--down in the center of town, no one around, street dead quiet. He does take-out at this hour, but opened the closed dining room for us. Now isn't that nice and good food too, right here in Somerset

Wednesday visiting the country side

Before going for our afternoon campaigning we took a drive to a local vineyard:  Glade Pike Winery.  I was amazed to find that they actually have vineyards or at least wineries here.  I forgot to ask where the grapes come from.  Redjeb said he saw some small barren vineyards around the main building, but maybe they buy grapes too.  This vineyard is owned by a family, the wife of which, is a Thomas of the Thomas Mills Feed Mill in Thomas Mills.

For those of you who don't know, this is a crossroads which is near Jerome and where I used to go for walks: down Thomas Mills Hill to Thomas Mills.

I learned that Kermit Yoder just died about a week ago.  He ran a local little store there, where my family went to shop.  He butchered his own meat and made his own sausage. I remember one time going in there years after I'd been away to graduate school etc., and when he asked me what I was doing and learned that I was studying.  He said in a an unbelieving and disappointed way:  "You're still in school?" He looked like he felt very sorry for me: I think he couldn't figure out why a good student was having such a hard time getting out of school.

But back to today:

After that we drove to Donegal, which is out in the country on the way to Pittsburgh.  On the way we passed Roaring Run, where my brother used to go to boy scout camp, I think.  

The young woman at the winery had suggested a little place for lunch in Donegal:  Out of the Fire Cafe.  Redjeb said his hamburger was the best he'd ever had and my crab cake was quite delicious.  A nice find.  Then we drove up and down hills and along windy country roads for miles heading for the town of Ligoneer, up in the mountains.  I'd never been on these road and it is truly beautiful country, particularly at this time of year with the leaves are changing.  There are farms, forests, horse farms, all sorts of cattle, sheep.  Redjeb was making fun of me every time I'd say look at the sheep, look at the cows!!

I'd always liked Ligoneer, which heralds a bit of the Revoluntionary War History.  It has a nice square in the center. We sat in a cafe sitting outside drinking hot chocolate.  Despite the cold, the sun was extremely warm.  This is an upscale community and probably quite McCain oriented.

Just as in New York we think everyone is liberal and for Obama.  Here in this world we feel that McCain is going to win.  The signs are everywhere in yards and along the highways.  I heard today from a volunteer at the office that Obama signs continue to be stolen.  He put up a new one after losing one, and glued it into glass bottles that he buried in the ground...but to no avail.  It was gone the next day.  Apparently the only ones to survive so far are those that say:  Veterans for Obama.  I guess that confuses the patriotic stealers.

Wednesday campaigning

Dropped off my stack of completed forms with Lisa.  She got a $198 ticket for speeding yesterday.  Wow!  That's serious money.

I have to admit I am getting a bit frustrated with this.  And the strong anti-Obama reactions makes me fear for what the future holds if/when he is elected.  I can't imagine what misinformation is out there that is going to stir up people.

I went back to Davidsville today to try a few more homes in this conservative town.  I did come upon some Democrats who are just not sure they want to vote for him.  I was told things such as:

"I like what he stands for, but let me tell you what bothers me:  his name."

I tried to explain to this woman that his name may be a positive on the international stage, but she said friends had told her that the terrorists had threatened to get us from within, and we don't know who he really is.

Another woman (who remembered me from years ago) said she had been reading so much negative stuff about him on the computer that she didn't trust him.  I mentioned the Ayers issue and told her it was 40 years ago (i.e. Obama being 8 yrs old when Ayers was doing his Weatherman stuff); and how Ayers had been voted citizen of the year in Chicago in 1999.  She looked a bit disbelieving.

A guy who remembered me when I told him my name (I sure don't look the same) seemed happy to see me, but said my parents would be rolling over in their graves if they knew what I was doing.  I assured him that they were Democrats through and through and that would not be so, but he too looked disbelieving.

Another woman told me that she had taken some kind of test on the computer via MSNBC.com and that after she answered her stand on the issues it said that she should vote for Obama.  Her aunt is canvassing for Obama, but this woman still is holding out.  I was pleased though that she spent time talking to me and took 6 of my issues handouts to read.

But there were those who said never would they vote for him....

One woman invited me in when she heard who I was. I pretended to remember her, but the name was only vaguely familiar.  Redjeb was waiting in the car and was probably wondering where I had disappeared to.  I have a feeling that she was happy to see me and explained that this section of Davidsville was where a lot of Jerome folks had resettled.  But I think she was not comfortable with Obama.  I believe there may be a lot of split votes, which I tried to tell people was not good, as a Republican president will veto all the Democratic congress' bills.  That seemed to hit home for some.

One convert though was Johnny Mantini, who lives in a large house up on a hill.  He is now recently widowed and in his 80s and was a grade school teacher of mine.  He gave me a big hug and was delighted that we had stopped by.  He invited Redjeb and me in for a visit.  We couldn't stay for long as our window for knocking is limited:  after work and before sundown, which is coming earlier and earlier.  Mr. Mantini was not committed to Obama when we arrived, but after our visit, as I was going out the door, he yelled to me:  "I'll vote for Obama."

I must confess with each day I'm getting a little tired of doing this.  It is a lot of driving and trying to find houses without house numbers or houses that don't seem to exist.  I mentioned to someone that I did not remember all these streets in these towns or in the country having names, let alone numbers.  I was told that after 9/11 Homeland Security or whatever had this implemented.  But not everyone has a visible number, I can attest to that.  Also there is not a lot of positive reinforcement, and I feel a bit awkward bothering people.  I gather what we are doing is helping to clean out the lists and they plan to have a big campaign of Get Out The Vote next week, with new lists based on our feeble attempts at finding people.  

The B&B: a tense morning

Well, I guess some of my paranoia was not without merit.  Ever since we had the political talk with another Democratic couple at breakfast the other day, I feared we were out of the closet with our leanings.  Of course we wear our Obama pins, and our car which is parked outside has Obama stuff all over the back seat (visible from outside).

But yesterday I said to Redjeb that I felt things were changing here and not for the better.  For one, at breakfast I always start with a cup of real coffee and then move onto decaf, which she has been preparing for Redjeb.  We are the only guests here now during the week, as the others tend to come on the weekend.  So yesterday when only one carafe of coffee was on the table, she said that's all she was making.  So I had to drink that (& go to the local cafe later to get my jolt). 

I also noticed that her compulsion to change the towels at every use had changed.  We had been amused by her compulsiveness. If you took a bath, before you knew it, the towel had disappeared and a new one was in its place.  That is no more.  Yesterday morning's used bath towel is still hanging by the tub and the tub was not cleaned, as usual.  I didn't want to give in to my paranoia but did feel a change had occurred.  

My suspicions were confirmed the morning.  When I went downstairs for breakfast, Fox news was blaring on the TV.  Trying to appear open-minded, I stopped to listen, as Rep. Murtha was being blasted for saying this part of the state is racist and redneck.  Dah...  Then McCain appeared.  Joyce, our hostess, stopped in front of the TV beside me and said, 

"That's my man."  

I had been wanting to break the ice on this topic, so quietly said, 

"We're for Obama."

"I know," she said.  Then added, "That's my girl," as Palin appeared on TV.  

I tried to say positive things about how if they didn't win, Palin would be even better to run in 4 years, to which Joyce responded:  

"She has much more experience than Obama.  She's been governor."

I wanted to respond, "So what's being a Senator: Swiss cheese," but didn't.

At that point, I kept repeating that I didn't want to get into this discussion, but, I guess, Joyce had been holding a lot in for the past days.  She started going on and on with the usual, including that she is upset about ACORN and that it is OK to win an election, but it should be done fairly.  I continued to say I didn't want to speak about this while we were staying there.

She tried to hold herself in, and we made small talk for a while over breakfast, but she got in her lines:  

"I believe in drill, drill, drill."

"I love my country and always have."

 ...And complaining about people on food stamps not wanting to work.

When Redjeb raised the issue of why has the price of oil gone down; who's responsible for that, I said, 

"The oil companies of course.  They saw that people weren't driving as much, so they brought it down."

To which she said:  

"I don't remember what he said, but it was after Bush said something that they went down."  

So I guess that means we should thank Bush for the lowering of the prices.  Wish he had said that something sooner.

In some part of the conversation she mentioned that her husband Dan had seen Bob S, whom I'd met the other day (the Democratic committee man I had met while knocking on doors in Davidsville).  In talking to Bob I found out that he and Dan work for the same Hospice as pastors.  He told me to say hello to Dan, but I decided not too, as I didn't want Dan to know how I'd come to meet him.  But in telling us, Joyce asked how we had come to meet Bob.  I just answered:  "In Davidsville."  I didn't want to say that we had knocked on his door during our canvassing, since I don't know if she knows how active we are.  Of course she probably has seen all my lists and such in the room when she cleans--though I try to hide them or take them with me.  

This is indeed a small town around here:  3 not 6 degrees of separation, I am finding out.

I told her that we may be making our stay shorter and leaving on Sunday rather than a week from Thurs, because of my problems with my tooth (might need a root canal).  She didn't flinch, so I think she'd like to get us out of here as soon as she can.

But as I was leaving the room, she in trying to be open-minded too, told me that the governor is coming to town on Saturday for a rally (something that I knew).  I guess she won't be going.

The Campaign & Life on Wed

Just watching some TV at the end of the day.  There are so many more McCain ads here than in NYC.  I try not to notice.

Our day:

This morning we met Pat Tokar-Ikes, who is the Chairman ( woman) of the Somerset County Commissioners and an Obama supporter.  Her office is across the street from our B&B.  She knew from my old high school friend Pat that we were coming.  She was sorry that we weren't staying though the election, which would be fun, but we had the "romantic" idea that we wanted to cast our votes in person for this election, so will be leaving before then.  She told us that the governor is coming on Sat to speak in the VFW--so we'll be there!

On the way to our canvassing we stopped at the lower end (pronounced "lour end") of Jerome for tacos at the Village Inn, a local bar.  The only customer there, Dan Cortez, happened to be from the family that owned, of all things, Moonlight Park, my old swimming hole, where we were yesterday. He told me that he lives there now in one of the houses up the road from the old park.  His family bought it from the Krings, who owned it in my time.  Although he was a bit younger than me and we didn't know each other before, he and I reminisced about our old high school teachers:  Mr. Grenninger, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Fuller, etc.

The bar used to be Machaci's ('scuse the spelling).  I was never allowed to go there.  I wasn't a drinker and during my youth that part of town had all the bars, and my mother said it was "rough"--not good.  That's probably why I love old working class bars now.  In my mother's early years there, there used to be fist fights every weekend night with people being taken down to the hospital in Johnstown.  Someone once asked her why a nice young woman liked her lived in Jerome...but times have changed.

The bar's owner, Miriam, had been one of my mother's first grade students.  We went to the bar for a late lunch because my friend Pat had said they had great tacos.  Have you ever had an Italian taco?  Whatever they were they were very good and less than $2.00 each.  In fact the special of the day was $1.25.  I love these prices.   

Dan, the customer, told us that in the late afternoon people start coming in for take-out, and it gets very crowded there, and depending on the day they sell between 200-400 tacos.  That is unbelievable given the rural area and not very dense population.

A take-out customer came in Terry Lappi while we were there.  He was also one of my mother's first grade students.  (These are people who look like they are in their 40s now).  His uncle was Reno Lappi, the husband of my first baby sitter (when I was just born), Verna Horwat Lappi.  I was in touch with Verna and her family until her death a few years ago.

CAMPAIGNING

The weather has been very cooperative.  A few scattered showers today, but mostly sunny--but a cold wind so I needed Redjeb's following me in the car, so I could jump in and out to get warm.

In Holsopple:

--A woman in her 40s stepped outside onto the porch and told me she was supporting Obama. She's on disability for MS and has two children. She's very worried about health care. She'd never voted before until two years ago when a friend ran for office.  She's very worried about her future.

At another house, I went onto the porch that was all filled with junk, and as I looked around I realized that there were a lot of large political yard signs scattered about, including one for McCain.  So I silently tip-toed down the steps.  As I was leaving the small yard, I noticed a young woman getting into a car in the driveway.  I went over to her and apologized for coming there, and explained that I'd seen the sign after I'd knocked.

"Oh, my dad threw those signs there.  My mother would never vote for McCain.  I'm not sure she'll vote for Obama, but certainly not for McCain."

At which point she insisted on getting out of the car to go into the house to get her mother to speak to me.  It seems that her father had "moved up the hill" and she was living there with her mother. But her mother did not want to speak to me.  "She's not feeling well," I was told when the daughter emerged from the sad house.  

Not giving up I tried to reach out to the young woman.  She told me she was registered to vote but wasn't going to vote. Why not?  Because she didn't like the way the two candidates said bad things about each other.  But when I tried to engage her in some dialog, she moved away from me and went to her car.  I pleaded with her to vote in Nov, but I'm not sure this sad, beaten down young woman will do so.  Maybe she'll think about our meeting.

The day ended outside of Davidsville in the relatively new (since my time) development on the way to Tire Hill. This looks like a Stepford wives community....so well manicured and all the houses with beautiful doors from Lowes.

Some responses were:

--A 40-ish year old woman answered the door and said she had not made up her mind, but that her husband was for Obama. He yelled from the background that he was working on her. I was pleased though that she wanted detailed information from me. So I gave her my handouts on: women's issues, taxes, and health care. When I said I guess you're not interested in veteran's issues, she said, "Oh, yes I am. My daughter's in the service." So I gave her that handout too.   You never know.

--A man in his late 50s said he's been a Democrat all his life and even worked actively for Murtha. But he doesn't like either of the candidates and doesn't plan to make up his mind till he's in the voting booth. I find this amazing. When I told him I thought it important that the Democrats take over, he agreed. 

When I told him that a Republican President would veto a lot of the bills from Congress that we want passed, he said:  "Now that's a good point." 

I hope that he thinks about this.

At the last house we visited, a young man answered.

I said very softly: "Are you Mr. [whatever]?"

He answered, "I'm one of them."

So I said I was volunteering for the Obama campaign, at which point he yelled over his shoulder:  "Dad, do you want to talk to someone about Obama?"

A gruff voice from an older man came out of stage left:

"That Communist Obama...Hell no!!  Get off my property right now. Get off!!"

I rolled my eyes at the son, and you better believe it--I got out of there and decided to call it a day. 

Monday's Work and whatever

Since we didn't want to do canvassing until later in the day when people are home from work, we went up to the Grandview Cemetery where my parents are buried.  It is in a beautiful location in the hills above Johnstown.  There is a section where those who died in the famous Johnstown Flood of 1889 are buried.  It is rather sad to see the tombstones of children, teenagers, young adults, spouses, etc that read "drowned May 1889".

We made our way from there to lunch at the nice restaurant near the incline that goes down the steep hill into the city of Johnstown.  From the windows of the restaurant you have a panoramic view of the city, its defunct steel mills, and the mountains and valleys, one of which served as the conduit for the flood waters from the broken dam miles away.

Since Davidsville was such a downer yesterday, we decided to do Holsopple today.  I had not been too keen on Holsopple when Lisa gave me the list, as I really didn't know much about that town even though it's only about 4 miles from Jerome.  But Holsopple is also a working class town, like Jerome, so today I was hoping it would be more hospitable than Davidsville.  I was beginning to feel the class distinctions. Republicans definitely for McCain.  Democrats mixed:  some for Obama,  some having problems voting for a black person.

On the way we had to go through Davidsville, so I suggested that we stop by a couple houses that I hadn't gotten to yesterday.  At the first one, no one was home, so I left my usual literature.  At the next an older man came to the door.  I almost thought he looked familiar, like someone I might have known from years passed but aged.  I gave my opening statement, and he smiled slightly and took a brochure I had in hand.  Before I could say another thing his jowly wife appeared behind him and in a very gruff voice kept repeating: 

 "Obama, Obama..No!" as she shooed me away with her hand.  

I was so startled I stepped back saying reflexively: 

"Sorry about that", 

as the husband meekly gave back the brochure.  

"You don't have to be sorry," she growled.

Redjeb told me, when I described the encounter, that I should have winked at the guy and whispered that he could vote in private for Obama.  But that was enough Davidsville for me, and we went hopefully toward Holsopple just a mile away.

Holsopple is smaller than Jerome, I believe, and has some hills of its own.  But it is a sadder looking town/village.  Redjeb seemed taken by it, with its dilapidated houses and asked if this is Appalachia.  

"It is the northern part of Appalachia," I told him.  "But we don't refer to it that way."

We are actually in the Allegheny Mountains that are part of the northern range of the Appalachian mountains. But despite some individual families and pockets of poverty, I think that we have been in better shape than those in the Southern areas.  Nevertheless, the houses in Holsopple for the most part did not seem as well taken care of as most of those in Jerome.  Some hadn't been painted in decades and were in need of repair, porches were loaded with all kinds of stuff, kids toys, old shoes, empty cans, broken porch furniture.  Many seemed to have dogs locked inside, while they were at work.  When I'd knock the dogs would go wild, banging into things and charging the door.  I would leave my brochure and make a quick departure.  

Redjeb decided today to follow me with the car and I'd get out, go to a few houses, and then jump back in, and we'd drive slowly trying to read house numbers.  It's seems to work better this way, and I think he enjoys it more.  Sometimes people would ask us if we needed help, as they'd see us pulling in and out of places. I was afraid we'd get hit by a car as we slowed down trying to figure out where to stop, since there are no curbs.

One guy was very suspicious of why I was looking for him.  In my awkward way I tried to explain what I'm doing.  He eventually admitted that he is a Democrat and became very friendly.  He told me that Davidsville, unlike Holsopple, is full of those "rich people up there".  I told him I was originally from Jerome, but he was about 40 and too young to know anything about my family.  Then he noticed our car license plate:

"You're from New York?"

"Yeah, I live there now."

"That something.  You came all the way back here for this?"

"Yeah, I thought they'd need me here more than up there."

"That's great."  

Then he went around the side of his house, jumped on his beautifully maintained motorcycle and took of like crazy down the road, waving back at me.

After him, we pulled into a road in front of a building that had huge cement dinosaurs outside, as well as some other stuff I couldn't figure out.  A woman was leaving and we asked her what this place was about.  Seems it is a wholesale place where they sell bulk petrified wood, large dinosaurs and who knows what else.  We weren't allowed in as it wasn't open to the public unless we needed a cart of this stuff.  Amazing what people do for a living, and I wonder who her customers are.

We got into a slightly better part of town, and at one house the guy said he was a Republican, so I said OK.  We both smiled, and it was all very nice and polite.  That is what I like.

Another guy, a Democrat, said he was undecided.  But as we talked I told him we had info for Veterans and indeed he is a vet.  How did I know?  I gave him my special flyer.  I hope it changed his mind.

As we drove on the narrow streets up in the hills around Holsopple we stopped in front of one of our numbers.  The sign on the door said go around to the back.  Many people here do not use their front doors; they and friends go in the kitchen door.  I went around and climbed up on the porch.  As I knocked on the door, I could see through the window a guy shirtless sitting at his kitchen table eating dinner.  Ooops.  He slowly came to the door.  He was very nice, and was not only quietly for Obama, but wanted more things so he could take them to the plant where he works.  So I loaded him up with pins and flyers.  Then I noticed that a car had pulled up along side Redjeb and that those inside were talking to him.

"That's my father, Frank M..  He's 80.  Maybe you know him."

"The name sounds familiar," I said, as I made my way toward the car thinking I'd better rescue Redjeb.  But he apparently was doing well on his own.  The man had asked him what was going on and Redjeb had explained.  He told the guy that I had been from Jerome.  Frank asked about my last name, and when Redjeb said "Backman," he thought and then said:  Doc Backman?  And Redjeb said, "Yes".

So when I went up, I explained we were working for Obama.  Frank M, looked thoughtful and said he was a long time Democrat. 

"Maybe I'll vote Democrat,"  he said.

Then his wife, with her done hair and puffy face leaned over from the far side of the front seat, and in a critical voice asked:

"You for Obama?"

I said, "Yes," and added my speech about Democrats sticking together, need for voting straight ticket, and that I had been for Hillary and who knows what else I said.  I don't think I changed her opinion, but we had to end the conversation as a car was coming down the narrow street and Frank M had to move on.

I left Holsopple with a fond feeling for this real place--a mixed bag politically but real, genuine people. 

Dinner tonight was at Maggie Mae's, a local beer joint near the turnpike.

Sunday Canvassing

Sunday was a very discouraging day for canvassing.

In general the canvassing is very time inefficient (though Lisa says they've done studies to show it helps).  But I think that may be true in urban areas, but in places like rural PA many of the houses don't have #s.  We have our list of undecideds, or whatever they are, and do not go to all houses.  We have a printout map, but it is not always accurate.  Sometimes a house just isn't there, even if we have an address.  Most of the time no one is home, particularly on this beautiful Sunday afternoon:  either they were out shopping or visiting family, or hiding inside watching the Pittsburgh Steelers game and not wanting to answer the door.  But we are free help, so I guess it doesn't matter how efficient it is.

Since we had not finished Jerome yesterday, we went to the end of town (known in my time as near the Maple Springs Church).  We had a devil (no pun intended) of a time finding the houses there and drove up and down these country lanes.  On those we found we left brochures as no one seemed to be home.  We made sure to come after church, though I felt funny going door to door on a Sunday in this part of the world--just not the thing to do.

In part of our getting lost we ended up at my old swimming hole/pool, The 10 Cent Hole.  It's name was later changed by Mr. & Mrs. Kring, the owners and high school teachers, to Moonlight Park. The pool was so small that it was under the limit to be required to have chlorine.  It was stream fed, and had its occasional frog.  The water was only as high as my chest when I was a teenager.  But this small watering hole was where I learned to swim.  (My stroke was perfected at nearby Camp Sequanota years later.)

 When we couldn't get a ride from a parent, my friends and I used to walk to the 10 Cent Hole, which impressed Redjeb very much, as it is quite far from Jerome (several miles, and up and down some steep hills).  But we used to stop along the way to pick berries and talk and sing and whatever little girls do.  Sometimes we would slip down the hill to the little swimming pool to avoid paying the 10 cents at the door.  I was surprised to see in the foliage on the hill that a path was still there.  However, the park is closed now and the bath house and concession stand, though still there, are totally dilapidated and ready to fall over any moment.  There is no sign of the pool, except a deep crater that is filled with vegetation now.

But I digress...

Next stop was Davidsville.  Somehow I thought that this would be easier than Jerome.  It is more compact and less hilly.  It is, however, economically a more upscale community, which translated into many McCain signs in the front yards  and some very curt people answering the door, once saying in a nasty tone:  "I'm sorry but I'm not voting for McCain."  I can't say she closed the door in my face but it was closed very fast.  I've heard that the absence of Obama signs in front yards is that they get stolen!

I walked and walked, while Redjeb took a nap waiting for me by a closed cafe.  Not only were most people not home (or I couldn't find the house) or they were Republicans.  Finally I saw a building with many signs in the from yard for local Democratic politicians, but none for Obama.  I spoke to a man who was leaving his home, and he informed me that he was a local committeeman for the Democratic Party.  He told me that I'd find more Democrats on the outskirts of town but the central core was strong Republican.  I didn't ask him, but I figured either he was afraid to put up an Obama sign or he himself wasn't keen on Obama.  I really should have asked.  But I wonder how many of the Democrats back here will vote Democratic for all others on the ticket but not for Obama (maybe not for McCain either, but not for Obama).

 

I was pretty discouraged by all this lack of positive reinforcement, so Redjeb and I decided to take a break.  First we had a late lunch, which consisted from a sloppy joe from JRs Shoppe II, a deli along the road between Davidsville and Holsopple.  When was the last time you had a sandwich for $1.30?  (In case you don't know sloppy joes are made from ground meat and a red tomato sauce and served on a hamburger bun.)  Redjeb ate one too, but keeps laughing cause he thinks all this is funny.

Later we went down to the area in the hills overlooking Johnstown to go to a mall to buy gloves, as I lost one of my new ones the first day here.  The first mall we went to was closed:  not sure if we got there late or they don't open on Sundays.  We then used our GPS and found another Mall.  

To show you how out of it and tired I was, hear what happened next:

I was speaking to my niece Sarai on the phone while in TJ Max.  I told her of my frustrating day in Davidsville and how I wondered if this was worth it.  She encouraged me to carry on.  I then told her that the weather was great (in the 60s--we get a 30 plus degree spread from night to afternoon).  I was bragging that I had gone into the store with only a t shirt, no sweater or coat.  

However, after I hung up and went back to the car, my remote would not open the car door. Redjeb was across the mall having a tea in Paneras.  In my continuing frustration, I called Sarai back to tell her what had happened, and she reassured me that I could buy a cell battery for it. Whew!  I then shivered over to Redjeb to tell him of my misadventure.  He in assessing the situation asked me why I hadn't simply used the key, since the remote didn't work.  

See what a slave to technology I've become:  I didn't even think of the key that is attached to the remote.  But it also shows how exhausted these days make me.

We then made our way to see the movie W.  Not bad and is in the spirit of my days here.  But I felt guilty cause our leader Lisa doesn't take time to go to the movies, to dinner, or any of the things that we effete New York senior-volunteers are doing.  I even coax her to join us, and she refuses.  She is totally dedicated.

Flight 93

Sunday we drove over to the field where Flight 93 crashed on 9/11.  It is only about 8 miles from here, and people we've spoken too tell us about where they were when it happened and how they reacted, just as we in New York do about the WTC.

They hope to have a huge monument and park ready for the 10th anniversary, based on donations.  The National Park Service seems to be somehow in charge now.  The fellow who owns the land where the plane fell, as I understand it, donated that spot.  However, they need more for the monument and many here are incensed that he now wants 10 million for the additional acres.  They figure the government will come up with the cash.

The site now is just a platform with some small "monuments"  for those who died (40 I think), and a screen where people hang mementos.  Off in the distance is the large field where they are now interred with the remains of the plane.

I was glad that when we were there, a local fellow (volunteer fireman) was giving a talk on what happened, accompanied by photos.  He was very believable and I think the conspiracy theories are just that.  According to him people from miles around heard and saw the plane, which turned upside down and was flying very close to the ground before it hit.  He said that the passengers had decided to bring it down over an area with little population.  He said there are records of cell phone calls to loved ones and also the transcript from the plane recorder, which had not burned up.  The plane was pretty well destroyed by the immense amount of fuel and the impact.  It made a huge crater and they spent two weeks excavating it.  They got some plane fragments and also DNA for all on board.  The local coroner wanted the crater covered up, like a grave site.  I personally think that may have been a mistake, as it does not give one a sense of what happened there.

The original plan for the memorial structure was considered to be like a crescent by one family of a victim, and said it was Arab or Muslim, so they scratched that.  There is to be a huge wind chime on the top of a hill nearby (made of many wind chimes of different tones).  The wind blows most of the time at that location as we are in a mountainous region, so they expect the music to be like the voices or whatever.  But the same family mentioned above says that chimes are Muslim and are fighting this too.  So there you go.

Discovered

'Tis Monday:  Was so busy and so tired last eve that didn't get to do my blog for Sunday. Will do.  But for now just realized that I had left my list of people to "convert" on the dresser, and while we were having a long conversation with Dan, the owner of the B&B, at breakfast, Joyce cleaned the room.  So I guess whatever cover we had re our reason for visiting got uncovered.  Also, Redjeb was wearing his Obama pin at breakfast, and sometimes I have mine visible when here, so....

Re my paranoia, I have begun to think that Joyce may be a bit hard of hearing, though Dan seems to hear well.  They are interesting people in their own right.  They don't like to travel and have not been out of the country nor do they intend to travel.  He is a Protestant minister of some kind (about 69 yrs old) and works for a Hospice group.  He also used to teach exercise etc. for the ski resort Seven Springs.  His health is not good now, as had several strokes and just got out of the hospital.  But he is an amiable fellow.

Joyce is the daughter of a minister, and a hard worker.  With Dan being weakened now, she does most of the cleaning of the rooms and food preparation (which she loves).  They did some extensive renovation of this old house and plan to do more.  She got up at 3:30 this morn, so she could take care of things and then be at her 5 am exercise class (for 2 hrs).  I have threatened to go with her, which Redjeb encourages, but that is about the time I go to bed!!

Our late getting up messes up Joyce's schedule, as she likes to clean the bathrooms and make our bed in the morning.  But we are the last to have breakfast and then we lallygag around the room before going out.  Our canvasing is best late in the day when people are home from work,  but she needs to get into our room.  So that is why she is probably hanging around, wishing we'd get out of here.

If you want to see more about where we are staying and a good photo of Joyce and Dan, go to

www.somersetcountryinn.com.  We are in the Blue room I think, but it isn't blue.

Sunday Morning reflections

Beautiful sunshine today.  We get off to a late start each morning.  I guess our host and hostess wonder why we are hear hanging around each day.  She like to make the beds and clean up.  Everyone else went off to see the various sights and the leaves.

We are staying in an old wooden house (built about 1860).  We are almost across the street from the Somerset County Court House.  The house is decorated in antiques.  We have a nice room with private bath.  The bath is down a small hallway, but that is no problem as there aren't many people here.  Except at breakfast we hardly see anyone.  The bathroom is huge, almost the size of our room.  They gave it to us, as we are staying here for longer than most.  Others seem to come for a day or two, particularly over the weekend.

I'm hoping we'll be able to stay as long as we had planned, as my tooth that I had fixed up (temporarilyI) the afternoon before we came here, has started acting up.  But we shall see.  I'm not sure if the Obama youth understand the efforts we senior citizens make just to do our thing.  

More notes re yesterday:

I remember at one house in Jerome the young woman answered the door.  She was very polite, but said she was very busy (I suspected there might be a little baby upstairs).  She said she had no time to do her research, so was still undecided.  Despite all the jokes made about people being undecided, I think there are indeed folks whose lives do not revolve around reading the paper, watching the news, and searching the Internet.  They are busy every moment just taking care of their families and their jobs.  When I told the young woman that I had some information in the car, she expressed interest in reading it, as she just has not had the time.  So I gave her one of the fact sheets which compare the 2 candidates on women's issues and taxes, as well as a simple brochure on Obama.  This is only one person, but it is the one-person-counts attitude that has made this campaign so successful (cross our fingers).

Saturday in Jerome

We had our big breakfast again today at our B&B.  Joy, our hostess, loves to cook.  One of the folks at our community table was a guy who worked in the State Dept (China desk).  He and his wife were liberals, so we were able to discuss our "mission" sotto voce. 

Remember my comments yesterday about thinking that our hostess was always near our room, maybe listening....well my paranoia got more feed today.  When I was getting ready this morning, I went out into the hall to go to our bathroom to take my bath.  As I turned left, I almost stumbled over Joy, kneeling on the floor just beside the door dusting the legs of a little end table.  I let out a little "exaggerated startle reflex."  She apologized and "making a joke" said, "I'm spying on you."   I do think it is just that she runs a very clean and tidy place, and well, hearing accidentally what goes on...just happens as a side.

I got my walking packet today and it is pretty thick:  Jerome, Davidsville, and Holsopple.

Redjeb was my driver and boy did I need him.  First of all I kept getting all my lists, pamphlets, etc. all mixed up, dropping them, etc.  Be careful when you send senior citizens to do anything for you, no matter how well intentioned.

I had forgotten how hilly Jerome is.  For a little town (1000 pop.) it sure has a lot of steep ups and downs, and to drive to the different houses on my own would have been inconvenient and to walk would have killed me.  We spent all afternoon trying to cover our Jerome list.  Didn't quite finish, so will do tomorrow.

First stop, however, was Berzonski's on top of the hill into town.   It is a little convenience store and I was hoping to make lunch out of their wonderful perogies.  But I was informed that Mrs. Berzonski has passed away so no more perogies.  The Berzonski family owned a big farm on top of the hill. The fellow working there was her son Gary, who had been one of my mother's first grade students.  He seemed so pleased that we were there, so we chatted a bit.  His brother Donald was in my grade, and I remember him one day whispering to me in class in great detail about how one of their cows had delivered a calf the night before.  He was really taken with the experience, and I don't think I really grasped it all.  I think we were in third grade or so.  Gary said that he hopes to give up the store in a couple years, and that none of the family is interested in running it anymore.  So there you go.

Then we drove down the hill.  First stop was our old house.  No one was home and no one was home next door, where the Trexels (and then the Prices) used to live.  We went to the third house of the trio.  The lady who answered had her hair up in large curlers and was busy as her husband just came back for lunch.  But she was very pleasant and said she was for Obama.  I asked her about the Girondas who lived nearby in a house that was literally attached to the back of the building that used to be the movie.  I learned that Steve Gironda, who used to own the movie theatre, has died, but his wife Bea still lives there.  I would have liked to see her, but she wasn't home.  I'm sure they'd be for Obama; they were strong Democrats.

The list we had was only those who had previously said they were undecided or senior citizens. Some of the addresses we couldn't find, but I was impressed that there are now street signs at least.  Many people weren't home so I just checked NH on the list and moved on.  Some had loud barking dogs.  They were chained or caged but were still kind of scary.

Some of the houses were nicely maintained, some so-so, and a few not too good.  A good number of the double houses are now singles.  

Some people remembered our family and even me:  Don Smith was one.  I couldn't remember if he was the guy that used to play the trombone in the band, so didn't ask.  Just pretended I remembered him; he was about my age.  [Help me on this, Johnny (my brother), if you remember him.]  He lives across the tracks (as we used to say, but that was not a bad thing in Jerome, just a destination).  We had tracks right in back of our house, where the trains from the coal mine used to park when they weren't in use.

By the way, did I remember to say that Don Smith is for Obama.  I found the people I spoke to to be about 50-50 for the candidates which was better than I had expected. And those for Obama were very cheerful.  One guy said he was for Obama, cause "I'm union."  I found that encouraging....the old base.  

Only one guy was a bit gruff, peaking through the glass in the front door, asking what I wanted.  When I showed my pin, he said he didn't want to talk and that ended that.  But basically everyone is polite back here, if you smile and are polite too.  They can get a bit cold and make it short at times, but you know what?  That's how I am too, when people call me or knock on my door taking polls.  I'm doing to others what I hate having others do unto me.

We went up on the hill (there are many hills in Jerome, but one place known as "up on the hill", and the road up to there is, you guessed it, Hill St.)  Up there I spoke with Betty K. who remembered my parents and was a Democrat.  She was very annoyed that there were McCain signs on yards all over town and only a couple Obama signs. I happily asked her if she'd like me to get her one,  but she quickly added:  "I don't one any in my yard!"   So there you go.

I went to another house, and a woman came running over from  neighbors when she saw me knocking on her door.  When I introduced myself, she informed me that her son had been one of the seniors at the high school who had won the Backman award.  (That is the award that my brother and I set up in honor of our parents.  It is basically for kids going to college and preference is given to someone from Jerome.)  She told me that her son did very well at Penn State and is now an engineer.  I almost made a joke and said, well then you'll be voting for Obama, but am glad I didn't, cause she got a bit distant when I asked if she had made up her mind whom she was voting for.  She said no, but I think, as with many, she just didn't want to say say McCain to me.  Hum...She should  give me the money back, I thought to myself....just a joke.

As an aside, I found out that she is related to Dickie W., who went all through school with me.  He lives in Maryland now.  I told her the story about when I was in 7th grade, I played the bells in the marching band.  We had a large band (100 people, I believe) and there was an entire row of "girls" playing the bells (glockenspiel).  It was my first football game when I was supposed to march.  One of the older girls discovered that she had forgotten the strap that you wear to help you carry the instrument.  She told me since she was in a higher grade than me that I would have to give her mine, which meant I would have to sit out the half-time band demonstration. 

Dickie happened to see me with tears streaming down my 7th grade cheeks, and when he heard the story he said it wasn't right.  He took it upon himself to somehow get my strap back, and I happily got to do my first half-time.  I hope she remembers to tell him the story.

We came back to our quiet guest house and our resting.  I walked over to the Obama Headquarters and dropped off my list with Lisa.  She had been out all day campaigning herself.  I don't think she ever eats.  We invited her to join us, but she works till 8 or 9 at night, making phone calls and entering the data from the lists into the computer:  NH, moved, refused to talk, deceased, etc.  or  for Obma, for McCain, undecided.  She was eating dry cereal tonight for dinner.  No wonder Obama is ahead with all this young energy.  Redjeb and I are going out to Eat & Park again, near the turnpike exit.  He loved the fish I had there the other day.  Can you imagine, good fish in a landlocked state, in a chain restaurant, and less than $10.  Prices for food are great here.

A demain.

Day one sort of

Got up this morn and had a huge B&B breakfast.  Redjeb made his way for a walk in Somerset and came back fairly soon saying there was no one walking on the streets, and it was really cold.  But we took off to find the Democratic & Obama headquarters, which is on the second floor of the VFW bldg.  (There is also an Order of the Elks and an American Legion downtown).

We met Lisa Leonard, our Obama contact.  She is a cute, energetic young woman, who just graduated from Washington & Lee University in the spring and went straight to work for Obama. She's really dedicated and well informed.  Makes me feel good about the up-coming generation.  Our "walking packets" for Jerome, etc. were not available cause the printer at the office was out of ink (where does all the $$$ from donations go?).  So she is printing out our lists and instructions this eve from her room in the home where she is staying.

I offered to make some phone calls and was given four sheets with names and phone numbers of undecide-eds.  We didn't stick around the office, as it is very small and 2 other women in addition to Lisa work there.  I hate making these phone calls, cause I hate getting them, but did my best:

"Hello, I'm Peggy Backman, and I'm volunteering for the Obama campaign....and we were wondering if you had decided who you were going to support".... and variations on this.  

They gave me a script and talking points to help our when your mind goes blank.

So during the day when I could I made some calls.  I must confess I liked the ones that didn't answer the phone or had answering machines, cause then I could move on.  

I only got about 6 people who were going to vote for Obama.  Some refused to say, some were still undecided, and 2 were definitely admitting that they were for McCain.  At first I assumed that the undecideds were really for McCain and didn't want to say so, but then as I got talking to some I realized that they had their own issues and feelings.  One even admitted that he might be prejudiced, but some didn't like either candidate and were for Ron Paul, or whatever.

One guy said he wanted to know where Obama got his money to go to school after he came back from the Mideast.  I was ready for him I thought, cause I had read those arguments yesterday in that newspaper on the way here.  I explained that Obama went to Harvard on scholarship.  

But the guy insisted:  "But why him???"  

I said well, "someone had to get it."  

"But why him???  There are other smart people.  He must have had someone write letters for him."

So I said, "Yes, his teachers."  

I couldn't decide if he felt it was because of his color, but I got the feeling it was this idea that he is a "sleeper" and part of a terrorist cell.  But then another level came out.  It seems that this man has a son, and he had trouble getting the money to send his son to college.  The son has now graduated from a  college somewhere in the South, and is now $40,000 in debt.  So I told him that the Obamas both had loans that they paid off over many years.  He was surprised by this.

He and I went on and on, about Social Security, veterans, the Skull&Bones Society, the Masons (I'm not sure why, but I guess secret groups are on his mind.)  Redjeb couldn't understand why I was on the phone for so long with this guy, but I found that he was well informed in many ways, but it was his interpretation that was skewed--at least to my "unbiased" mind.  In any case he was still undecided when we hung up, but I was hoping that he'd remember me when he went into the voting booth.  He, like some others, said he doesn't make up his mind till he's in the booth.  He was a big supporter of Bill Clinton....and now wishes Ron Paul was running.  And he felt the All Mighty would guide him in the booth.

I had trouble finding a place and time to make these calls, cause we are in this B&B and the owner lady was always around this morning, changing towels, vacuuming, whatever.  Maybe the people I called are not the only paranoids around.  I got the feeling that she was lurking around, trying to figure out what we were talking about. I was still remembering the McCain-Palin sign on the lawn out front. But maybe she was just wanting to tidy up our room and get on with her day.

  Actually we did spend a good part of the day in our room as we were tired out from the ride here.  But I took my Obama call list with me when we left cause I just had the feeling she'd "notice" a lot of what we have in the room.  I feel like I am in the French resistance and have to speak in code. 

Gas prices are really low here, so to speak.  We paid $2.79 today and thought we had a real bargain and then I learned from the man above that he got gas at our local Turkey Hill station for $2.42.  What I want to know is who is making these prices go down.  Someone has to say lets lower it.  The man I spoke with on the phone above says that OPEC is meeting tomorrow and they will make gas priices go up again--them and the Skull and Bones, whom he says decide which countries we invade and who is to die.   Prayer is the answer I was told.

We stopped by the local AAA today, and I happened to see a handout on the counter (not published by them) of about 8 pages called Voters Guide, on newsprint about the policies of the 2 parties.  I thought this might be useful, but was quite amazed:    Some of the issues in the list were:

McCain Obama

Supports Federal Defense of Marriage Act         Yes No

Supports Curriculum the Promotes Homosexuality No Yes

Opposes laws forcing business to favor homosexuality Yes No

Supports immediate removal of troops from Iraq   No Yes

etc.

I thought this was quite interesting how they managed to state the above.

We had lunch today late afternoon at the Coalminers Cafe, which used to be the White Star Hotel in Jennerstown.  It was kind of dismal, but quite a number of people were there.  I used to think that was one of THE places to go when I was a kid.  I liked their turkey dinners then, which came with gravy (lots of gravy), mashed potatoes, stuffing,and waffles (yes waffles with gravy, they do that in Penna.)  I had a hot turkey sandwich as a partial reminder today, and of course there was lots of gravy, so I had to skip the Coconut Creme pie, which I remember as being so good back here.

We drove around the country side for a bit, which was beautiful, the leaves are quite vivid in yellows and reds.  We drove to Jerome (my hometown) and took a quick drive around.  I still can't look at our house cause they took out all our hedges and boarded in the large front porch (to make more room inside).  The yard looks a mess, and they put ugly gray shingles on the house.  Tomorrow I hope to be back for canvassing.

They are doing major strip mining right outside of town near Berzonski's farm.  Maybe they sold the rights?  It is really ugly, like huge barren mountain in the middle of farm land.  

We drove through some country back roads and it is really pretty there.  Would you believe I got really lost.  I've had north and south mixed up since I've been here (since I usually stay in the north in Johnstown rather than in the south in Somerset--at least that's my excuse).  But thanks to our GPS we found our way back.

Sorry for running on.  Should probably write lots of short entries rather than a long rambling one.  Don't forget you can write comments by clicking on the comments little tag right below.  You don't have to register do to this.  After you write your comment you can scroll down, put your name in the name box and post it.

Nite.

Traveled to Penna

Well, we made it to our Bed & Breakfast in Somerset:  The Somerset County Inn.  It was dark when we arrived, but I could see a McCain-Palin sign sort of in front of the building; not sure if our hosts:  Joyce and Dan Jones put it there or not.  He is a minister and she is the daughter of one.  Nice polite people.  I'm keeping quiet about why we are here.  Just visiting my old stomping grounds.

The ride here was informative.  It's a good six hours plus stops to get all the way to SW PA.  

First stop for lunch was off the turnpike in a small town East of Harrisburg, something like Charlesburg or whatever.  Just a one street little burg.  We ate at the Hoag's Hotel, where I had the first meal that reminded me of why people have such huge derrieres here.  It was billed as Pennsylvania Dutch cooking.  I had a "bowl" which was delicious meatloaf  inside bread, with potato stuffing (included potatoes and bread stuffing) covered, absolutely covered with oodles of gravy.  Not for the faint of heart (no pun intended).  I even took a photo of it but have to learn how to put photos on my blog.  

A McCain poster and flags were evident in front of one of the houses in the modest town.  Redjeb started to read the local paper (berksmontnews.com)  and also the Bethel Bulletin & Pine Grove Examiner.  They were eye openers.  In one a guy wrote a letter to the editor saying there were a lot of unanswered questions about Obama and his judgment and associations, such as:  Who did he hang out with in high school?  Who paid for his trip to Pakistan when he went with his college roommate to visit his friend's family there?  Now he hangs out with Ayers, he must be a "sleeper", i.e. a spy who was trained as a young man and waiting these years to get into an important post.

Another article said that Obama was responsible for our latest drop in the stock market and our current financial crisis as he keeps saying that there are things going wrong in our country.  Also he is for regulation.....  I'll try to figure out how to attach copies of these articles to this blog, if I can.  Really mind boggling.

I was beginning to feel that my work here was going to be even more difficult than I had imagined.

We stopped for a brief visit with my old friend Mary Louise (we were in first grade together and went all the way through school together, even both played the "bells" in the marching band.)  She lives outside of Harrisburg (Camp Hill) and said that that area is all Republican and her friend down the street is convinced the Obama is a Muslim.  We only saw one Obama sign outside a home; the rest were for you know who.

Later I would get a call from Joan (Kutchman, Kay's sister) who also lives in central Penna.  She said no one dares to say that they are Democrats; they feel intimidated, and this has been written about in the papers.  People who are interviewed for the paper will not give their names for fear of reprisals from the neighbors.

Now today one of the headlines in the local papers features the Representative John Murtha (who is usually revered by here). He has had to "retract" a statement he made yesterday about Western PA being "racist."  So he took it back and said that the people weren't racist, it was only that they didn't like blacks and didn't like the idea of a black person and family in the White House.  

I guess that is why the cal it the "white" house.

So, it is now Friday morning.  I have called Lisa, our Obama contact here in Somerset.  We are soon walking down to her office, which is a desk in the Democratic Headquarters on the second floor of the VFW building.

Redjeb has just come back from a walk in town.  This is supposed to be the county seat, so is a sort of city.  But no one is on the quiet streets.  The air is crisp and quite cool.  Fall is here and the leaves are turning beautiful colors. 

I just got an email from Lisa, the field organizer in Somerset, Penna:

Hi Peggy,

I am so glad to hear from you!  And I'm glad you want to go door to door in those areas [meaning Jerome & Davidsville].  When you get here, I will have walk packets available for you and that will be amazing.  Looking forward to meeting you and working with you.

Now I wonder what she means by "that will be amazing".  

I think she is amazed or amused that these old duffers are coming from the Big Apple and want to knock on doors.  Apparently most people don't want to do that....hum....